Floor clip



13, 1970 H. M. SCHILF ETAL 3,524,666

FLOOR CLIP Filed Aug. 5, 1968 INVENTORS HAROLD M. SCHILF 9 WILLIAM R. B ACH /wad ATT'Y.

United States Patent Ofice 3,524,666 FLOOR CLIP Harold M. Schilf, Birmingham, and William R. Beach, Hueytown, Ala., assignors to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 750,313 Int. Cl. E04b 5/00; F16]: 21/12 US. Cl. 287-189.35 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to railway cars and particularly to an improved floor clip arrangement for securing the car floor to the underframe of the railway car.

Description of the prior art The prior art is best disclosed in the Rothfuchs Pat. No. 2,439,220 wherein a floor clip is described having a similar general configuration as shown in the present invention. The present invention is concerned with an improved construction of such a floor clip which permits greater speed of assembly and more positive securing of the clip in position.

SUMMARY The present floor clip arrangement includes clinching elements contained on the floor clip which permit a wedgeshaped element to be driven through a securing pin for effectively tightening the floor clip against the stringer and the wooden floor plank whereupon the wedge-shaped element is automatically clinched upon driving of the same.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view disclosing the invention and the manner in which a floor clip is assembled to a railroad car floor and car under-structure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a floor clip in assembled position; and

FIG. 3 is a view from underneath the railroad car floor showing a floor clip in assembled relation with a stringer of the car underframe.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, 10 represents a wooden floor member which is to be secured to a stringer 11 provided on a railroad car underframe. The stringer 11 includes a horizontal flange 12 on which the floor member 10 is to be secured..A floor clip is generally designated at 13 and is of channel-shaped construction including upwardly extending flanges 14. One end of the floor clip 13 is provided with an upwardly inclined portion 15 the upper ends of which provide rotation-preventing prongs 16 formed by the ends of the flanges 14. The clip 13 is provided with a web 17 having at one end an integral flange 17'. A recess 18 is provided in one end of the web 17. A vertical 3,524,666 Patented Aug. 18, 1970 opening 19 is provided in the web 17 and is in alignment with an opening 20 in the floor 10. A pin 21 is adapted to be inserted in the opening 20 and includes a head 22. The pin 21 also includes a transversely extending slot 23. As best shown in FIG. 3 a guide element 24 projects downwardly from the web 17 and is in laterally spaced relation with respect to a clinching member 25 integrally formed with the floor clip 13 and projecting downwardly with respect thereto. The clinching member 25 is formed with an arcuate surface 26 and is provided at one end with a clinching portion 27 and at its other end with a guide portion 28.

A tapered key element 29 includes a head 30 and as shown in FIG. 3 in the assembled position is provided with a clinched end 31.

As best shown in FIG. 1, in assembly the pin 21 is inserted through the opening 20 and through the opening 19 of the clip 13. With the opening 23 of the pin 21 being disposed below the web 17 the tapered element 29 is then inserted through the opening or slot 23. During this insertion the guide portions 24 and 28 guide the pin 21 into the slot 23 and the assembler then drives the tapered element 29 into the clinched position shown in FIG. 3. The clinching portion 27 is in the path of movement of the tapered element 29 as it is driven through the slot 23 and the clinching end 31 is provided with a tapered surface which, as it engages the clinching portion 27, is bent into the clinched position shown in FIG. 3. The tapered element 29, while it is being driven into position, also tightly draws the clip 13 against the underneath side of the flange 12 and the floor plank 10 is securely drawn into the assembled position. The prongs 16 serve to penetrate into the underneath surface of the floor plank 10 as shown in FIG. 2, the distance of penetration being limited by means of the integral flange 17'. The guide portions 24 and 28 also serve to restrain the tapered element 29 and pin 21 against rotation which is of course necessary to achieve the bending or clinching operation as shown in FIG. 3.

It is thus apparent that an improved combination for securing a floor clip has been disclosed. The tightening of the parts in their combined relation and the clinching of the tapered key or element 29 is simultaneous upon the tapered element 29 being driven through the slot 23 by a single hammer blow. This permits assembly to be accomplished rapidly and it is unnecessary to insert lock washers in combination with bolt and other conventional securing arrangements. The present invention provides for continued locking and requires no subsequent tightening or maintenance as might be required with other secur- .ing means over the life of the railway car. If the floor is to be replaced it is a simple matter to withdraw the tapered elements 29 from the clinched relation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a floor clip for securing together a sill and a floor board supported thereby, a channel-shaped member having a generally horizontally disposed web and generally vertically extending flanges, a securing pin, an opening in the web for receiving said securing pin to clamp the sill between said clip and the floor board, said flanges providing upwardly extending end prongs for penetrating said floor boards, the improvement comprising:

means for securing said clip including a transversely extending pin opening in said pin, and wedge means movable through said pin opening and engaging said web,

said wedge means including a key element, and clinching means on said clip engageable with said key element during driven insertion through said opening for clinching the end of said key element and limiting rotation of said pin relative to said clip,

said clinching means including a clinching element projecting from said web and being disposed in the path of movement of said key element as it is driven through said pin opening,

said key element being tapered to draw said pin through the floor and force said pin down as said key element is driven through said pin opening with said clip prongs being forced into said floor in preventing ro tation of said clip relative to said floor.

2. The invention according to claim 1, and

said clip including a guide element projecting from said web and being disposed to one side of a centerline through said pin opening and on one side of said pin,

guide means projecting outwardly from said web including a projecting portion disposed on the other side of said centerline on the one side of said pin adjacent to said guide element whereby said key element is guided into said pin opening.

3. The invention according to claim 1, and

said clinching element projecting from said web and having an arcuate surface, one end of which is disposed in the path of movement of said key element as it is driven through said pin opening and the other end having means engageable with said key element for restraining the same and said pin against rotation.

4. The invention according to claim 3, and

said key element having a chamfered end portion adapted for engagement with said one end of said arcuate surface as the keyelement is driven through the pin opening whereby the end of the key element is bent at an angle to prevent removal of the key element from the pin.

5. The invention according to claim 1, and

said clinching element being arcuate shaped and providing for strength reinforcement of said clip web.

6. The invention according to claim 4, and

the one end of the arcuate surface being substantially in the path of the opening in the pin and in the path of substantially the entire key element,

said clinching element being engageable with the one end of the arcuate surface so as to bend the clinching element at an angle to prevent removal of the clinching element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 363,021 5/1887 Taylor 85-8.1 1,368,989 2/1921 Lee 85-8.1 1,801,264 4/1931 Cooke '85-8.1 2,439,220 4/1948 Rothfuchs 287l 89.35

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

